Posted on 12/22/2017 2:42:50 PM PST by Signalman
So, last month, there were rumors that Attorney General Jeff Sessions was looking into whether a special counsel would be necessary to look into Clinton-Uranium One transaction. In his testimony to Congress in November, he threw cold water on it, saying there wasn’t enough evidence to appoint one. Now, NBC News is reporting that Sessions has instructed prosecutors at the Justice Department to interview the FBI agents who were involved in the Uranium One probe and explain the evidence they obtained [emphasis mine]:
On the orders of Attorney General Jeff Sessions, Justice Department prosecutors have begun asking FBI agents to explain the evidence they found in a now dormant criminal investigation into a controversial uranium deal that critics have linked to Bill and Hillary Clinton, multiple law enforcement officials told NBC News.
The interviews with FBI agents are part of the Justice Department's effort to fulfill a promise an assistant attorney general made to Congress last month to examine whether a special counsel was warranted to look into what has become known as the Uranium One deal, a senior Justice Department official said.
[…]
A senior law enforcement official who was briefed on the initial FBI investigation told NBC News there were allegations of corruption surrounding the process under which the U.S. government approved the sale. But no charges were filed
[…]
In recent weeks, FBI agents who investigated the case have been asked by Justice Department prosecutors to describe the results of their probe. The agents also have been asked if there was any improper effort to squash a prosecution, the law enforcement sources say.
The senior Justice Department official said the questions were part of an effort by the Sessions team to get up to speed on the controversial case, in the face of allegations from Congressional Republicans that it was mishandled.
An FBI spokesman declined to comment.
The Uranium One case has been at least reported extensively by the media. It involves the Clintons, Russia, uranium, and a former Canadian-owned mining company called Uranium One. The Russian state-owned energy corporation Rosatom wanted a majority stake in the company, which was announced in 2010. Between 2009-2013, Rosatom gradually gained more control of Uranium One, while its then-chairman, Ian Telfer, gave over $2 million from his charitable foundation to the Clinton Foundation. Eventually, since uranium is a national security priority, the Council on Foreign Investment had to approve the sale; the secretary of state is on the nine-member panel. During this time, that was Hillary Rodham Clinton. In addition, Bill Clinton received a $500,000 check from a Russian bank involved in the Uranium One transaction; the former president was asked to deliver a speech. Previous reports had Uranium One’s mining stakes in the U.S. at 20 percent, meaning that the Russians would absorb those interests. That figure has been revised down to 11 percent. Hillary Clinton never disclosed these donations and it fed into the narrative that if you give money to the power couple, especially via their foundation—somewhere on the timeline a socioeconomic dividend would be delivered to the donor.
It was recently discovered that the Obama White House knew the Russians were also bribing their way through the deal, had their payment schedule, but did nothing in the hopes of resetting relations with Moscow. So, why are we revisiting this again? Ed Morrissey at Hot Air had a few reasons—all of them fraught with politics, though some aspects worthy of congressional oversight and an inspector general inquiry:
For one thing, Donald Trump has put a lot of pressure on Sessions to investigate Hillary Clinton, mainly to force the media to acknowledge that the Clintons had more commercial and political ties to the Russians than Trump ever did. He wanted a “sauce for the goose” probe to balance out what Trump considers a “witch hunt” investigation on Russia-collusion speculation. When the latter was still in-house at the DoJ, Trump wanted an FBI investigation for the former; now that the collusion probe has a special counsel, Trump wants the same thing for Uranium One.
That pressure increased two months ago after The Hill’s John Solomon uncovered an FBI informant who claimed that the DoJ had prevented him from blowing the whistle on Russian extortion and influence operations going back to 2009. That involved the Uranium One deal, among others, and specifically targeted Hillary Clinton. In response, Congress demanded that the DoJ lift the whistleblower’s non-disclosure agreement. A month later, Sessions told Congress that he was considering the necessity of appointing a special counsel to review the actions of the Obama-era DoJ in regard to Uranium One and the potential for a criminal investigation.
[…]
No matter what Sessions decides, he’ll run the risk of large-scale political blowback. If he chooses to shut it down without a special counsel, he’ll be torn to shreds by Trump and his supporters; if he appoints a special counsel, Democrats will accuse him of touching off a constitutional crisis (it won’t be, but that’s been their slogan all year). That’s why it will either be a special counsel or nothing at all, too. Even though there’s no reason at all to go outside the DoJ for such an investigation, Sessions won’t want his fingerprints on it.
In the meantime, Trump will have what he wants — a potential bookend to the “collusion” nothingburger that may force the news media to report on the Clintons and all their slimy dealings in conjunction with the Clinton Foundation. How long Sessions will string that out is anyone’s guess, but in the end it’s not just the Clintons whose reputations will be on the line. It involves the Obama administration too, whose DoJ silenced the FBI informant for some reason. That alone is worth an Inspector General review and Congressional oversight.
Can the DOJ be trusted to fully comply with Sessions’ order?
Lock her up! Along with all her cronies!
“...Can the DOJ be trusted to fully comply with Sessions’ order?...”
Given what we’ve seen, and know, with the MuleFace interrogation so far, I would venture to say, “no way in hell” would I trust the FBI for anything, including the time of day. A Special Prosecutor should be appointed for this, IMHO.
Odds are all the management level folks are solid, trustworthy, Clinton era hires so what’s not to trust?
Oh Hillary had to do was shut her mouth and enjoy retirement. But no, she kept popping off at the mouth, at someone who doesn’t suffer fools.
“Can the DOJ be trusted to fully comply with Sessions’ order?”
Yes and no. There are doubtless more committed commiecrats than conservatives. But the ones I have met over the years, including retired people from State and DOJ, were, I suspect, too afraid of getting caught doing something other than what was ordered. A lone person can just put a case in his top drawer and “yes” it to death. Yes, I checked and nothing is happening. Yes, I did what you said but it didn’t pan out. But I think the level of scrutiny is so high and their distrust of each other so pervasive that they will all do exactly what they are told and just hope to survive to retirement. Retirement is the ultimate goal. Any political mayhem they cause conservatives along the way is simply gravy.
I agree.
Statute of limitations has expired - much ado about nothing or rather with no result except to make the Pixie look good.
I think you have the solution with a Special Prosecutor. The evidence to justify one is overwhelming.
Thanks for that.
“Statute of limitations has expired - much ado about nothing or rather with no result except to make the Pixie look good”.
So there could be no Special Prosecutor or it would be a waste of time?
So just what is the limitation on treason?
‘Statute of limitations has expired’
Exactly. There’s also the big tax cut to consider. Over time that will cause both Trump’s popularity and his political capital to rise. Eventually he’ll be able to fire Sessions without the Senate stonewalling a replacement. So Jeff is finally trying to do just enough to keep from getting the boot. It’s doubtful he can pull it off; that recusal stunt was beyond the pale.
Gonna need the picture of Ms Trigglypuff for eye wash now...
Quick guys, do it!
Before Jeff Narcolepsy has another episode and falls asleep again.
If they REALLY investigate the U-1 deal it’s goodnight Irene for ol’ Bob Mueller. He prrsonally honchoed that sucker to completion, including a trip to Moscow. (They all thought Hillary would win). She got several hundred million$ out of it. Surely ol’ Bob Mueller got million$, too.
Throw Obama’s FBI under that Microscope while you’re at it
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